Trio of Proms Success for Junior RNCM

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Three students from the Royal Northern College of Music's Junior School are among the winners of this year’s BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers’ competition.

Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK

the BBC Inspire competition has motivated me to make composition a key part of my career

Manchester, UK (PRWEB UK)14 July 2014

Harry Johnstone, aged 19, was one of three Senior Category winners thanks to his composition Dis-Pulsed, while 17-year-old Harry Castle and 16-year-old Robert Durnin made up two thirds of the successful Junior Category with La Trahison des Images and Study in Anarchy respectively.

Now in its 16th year, the BBC Proms Inspire scheme is for budding composers aged 12 to 18 who want to write their own music. It provides them with a friendly environment to share ideas, participate in workshops, meet other young composers and develop their creativity. The Young Composers’ competition offers winners an unrivalled opportunity to have their music played by professional musicians at the BBC Proms and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Each composer also receives a BBC commission.

On winning his award, Harry Johnstone said: ‘I have always loved composing my own music, but the BBC Inspire competition has motivated me to make composition a key part of my career. I am very excited to hear my piece being performed by a professional ensemble.’

Harry Castle added: ‘I am absolutely delighted to have been selected as one of this year's winners. I have always looked up to the people who have won the competition in the past, and it seems a bit surreal now that I am one of them! I'm very excited about the opportunities the competition brings and I'm really looking forward to hearing my piece at the proms.’

All three composers will have their pieces performed by the Aurora Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Collon, at the Proms Plus Inspire concert at the Royal College of Music on Wednesday 20 August at 5pm. Their works will also be broadcast in a special programme on Radio 3 on Monday 25 August.